A tomato gratin is one of my go-to dishes for summer eating and is a super delicious side dish made with garden ripe cherry tomatoes and a good way to use up all those extra tomatoes you planted. Really important is the quality of the bread and a sturdy, country loaf type will hold up beautifully.
Serves 4
Extra virgin olive oil
4 cups 1-inch diced ciabatta bread cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups cut cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
Grinding black pepper
1 cup diced Swiss, Montasio or Italian Fontina cheese
2 tablespoons chopped basil
Preheat oven to 350F
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a stovetop to oven casserole dish and brown the bread cubes in batches; transfer them to a bowl; add more oil as needed to brown the remaining bread cubes.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the same pan and cook the garlic until golden; stir in the tomatoes, salt, sugar and pepper and cook until the tomatoes exude their juices. Return the bread cubes to the pan and press them down into the tomatoes. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake until set and nicely browned about 12-15 minutes. Sprinkle basil over top and scoop from pan to serve.
Ciao Italia: Plant, Harvest, Cook!
